The EU is sending aircraft and firefighters to tackle the devastating forest fires ravaging France and Spain

The EU has deployed assistance to France and Spain through the European Civil Protection Mechanism (ECPM) in response to the forest fires that have triggered one of the largest evacuation operations in Europe, displacing more than 300,000 people in both countries.

In France, the EU has deployed seven aeroplanes and four helicopters from the Czech Republic, Croatia, Germany, Portugal, Slovakia, Sweden and Turkey. Most of these aircraft form part of the rescEU fire-fighting fleet.

In Spain, the EU has mobilised six aircraft from Greece, Italy and Turkey, and has deployed 134 personnel and 41 vehicles from Portugal.

The EU’s Copernicus satellite service is also providing high-speed emergency maps to support the response on the ground.

The EU Emergency Response Coordination Centre is in close contact with the French and Spanish authorities to assess what additional support can be mobilised, and a European Commission liaison officer is in Bordeaux to help the national authorities coordinate EU assistance.

As part of the EU’s preparedness measures for this year’s forest fire season, firefighting teams from other European countries had already been deployed to France and Spain before the fires broke out, enabling them to immediately reinforce the national response teams.

‘At this moment, hundreds of thousands of people have been forced to flee their homes, whilst firefighters battle walls of fire in extreme conditions to save lives and communities. No country should ever have to face a disaster of this magnitude on its own. That is precisely why Europe has established a joint response capability: aircraft in the air, firefighters on the ground and further support ready to act as soon as it is needed. To the people of France and Spain: Europe will stand with you until the fires are extinguished,” said Hadja Lahbib, Commissioner for Preparedness, Crisis Management and Equality.

 

More information: European Commission